viii PREFACE 



large place, but the principles are the same in both, and 

 in the village lot the dainty finish and the perfect propor- 

 tion, where all things are so evident, may be more diffi- 

 cult to accomplish than the more massive and less 

 emphasized effects of the regular country place. 



It is needless to dwell upon the necessity of having 

 entirely good reasons to control the choice of a place. 

 Should that be left to unrestrained fancy or whim, the re- 

 sult is sure to prove disastrous. Why the house should 

 stand in one place and not in another, is not and cannot 

 be a matter of fancy. Certain reasons govern it. Many 

 points have always to be considered. Everything is 

 interdependent. There should be a general scheme from 

 which everything naturally develops in its relative and 

 just order and place, and the basis of all design and of 

 all arrangements should be the natural conformation and 

 incidents of the ground. 



It will be evident and natural that the existing land- 

 scape must control the general design, but, of course, 

 never to the point where danger threatens the actual 

 comfort of the householder by shutting out sunlight and 

 air, and otherwise making unhealthy and uncomfortable 

 conditions, such as low, damp ground and bleak exposure, 

 for art and beauty in such cases always go hand in hand 

 with common sense and reasonable comfort. The ar- 

 rangement and construction of roads and paths, whether 

 on large or small places, will then develop in a natural 

 fashion that will be practical and agreeable. Gardens 

 will be seen in their proper places and performing their 

 true functions under existing conditions. In the same 

 spirit, the location of ponds and streams and their con- 

 struction will be studied, as well as the health of wood- 

 lands and the retention of their most characteristic 



